More Guilty Pleas in NY Truck Test Cheating Scheme

Two more people have pleaded guilty to charges in a Commercial Driver’s License test-taking scheme in New York State. Just days apart, Firdavs Mamadaliev pleaded guilty to identification documents fraud and Akmal Narzikulov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York (truckinginfo.com). Their pleas follow five other pleas from last month, including from

Attorney Chris Welsh

security guards and a couple who operated a commercial driving school in Brooklyn.

The sweep of pleas is the result of an investigation that uncovered that cheating schemes occurred at five DMV’s in the New York City area. Eleven people were indicted for their part in the action. Roles included security guards, an external test-taker, test facilitators, and “lookouts.” Applicants allegedly paid between $1,800 to $2,500 in return for test answers and assistance, which included a Bluetooth headset and pencils encoded with miniaturized answers.

The discovery of this Commercial License Test scheme is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with big trucking. This latest story reveals that the problems run from both ends of the stick, top and bottom, with one goal in mind: profit. This mission sacrifices safety. Whether drivers are cheating to get their license or fudging hours so they can earn more despite extreme fatigue, the trucking industry needs to take accountability for the nonstop mindset of its culture by acknowledging the issue and taking steps to make sure rules are followed–instead of just turning the other way.